Modern selective call receivers, e.g., pagers, generally include circuit supporting substrates, e.g., printed circuit boards, with electronic components mounted thereon, substantially enclosed within a plastic housing. A trend in the market is for transparent plastic housings, optionally dyed to one or more colors. The transparent characteristic makes the internal printed circuit boards and electronic components visible from outside the housing. This feature provides a cosmetically pleasing and futuristic appearance to the pager.
One or more opaque labels applied to the outer surface of the housing provide required labeling information to the final delivered product. For example, a logo provides a graphical identification of an organization marketing the product to consumers. Also, a bar code commonly identifies product information to scanning devices. Text can also be applied to labels to communicate information about the product. The information provided on these labels is necessarily provided for doing business in today's marketplace.
Regrettably, the opaque labels detract from the transparent characteristic of the plastic housing. Additionally, the application of the labels to the outer surface of the housing adds steps to the manufacturing process which adds opportunities for introducing defects to the product and adds cost.
Thus, what is needed is a method and apparatus for directly marking the transparent plastic housing with the required information.